


I Want To Hold Your Hand

by ElliePollie



Category: Until Dawn (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, F/M, Fluff, Mutual Pining, School Trip, hand holding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-09
Updated: 2020-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:08:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23077576
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElliePollie/pseuds/ElliePollie
Summary: A school trip to France is meant to be the perfect opportunity for romance according to Josh. However, Chris and Ashley, the awkward dorks that they are, need a little help in getting there. Luckily, 'scheming' is Josh' middle name. They will hold hands before the end of the trip!
Relationships: Ashley Brown/Chris Hartley
Comments: 12
Kudos: 20





	I Want To Hold Your Hand

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt from Babs on the Until Dawn discord: person a makes up a ton of excuses to hold person b's hand  
> Thank you, Babs!  
> I had so much fun writing this fluff, a nice break from my angsty multi-chapter UD fic.

It was the big annual school trip to France. Last year Ashley had been a freshman and wasn’t allowed to go. She’d had to miss out on all of the fun shenanigans that her older friends had got up to. As a sophomore, this was the first year she could go. 

She was, of course, looking forward to going to France and soaking up all of the culture and the history and the beautiful sights. She also liked the idea that she was going to be able to practice her French. The main reason she was going was to spend time with her friends; Emily, Jessica, Mike, Matt, Beth, Hannah, Sam, Josh and, of course, Chris. Chris. She’d be lying if she didn’t say that the thing she was most looking forward to was spending more time with Chris. 

Everyone knew that Ashley liked Chris. She wasn’t very good at hiding it. She couldn’t help the fact that she was always laughing and blushing around him. So, of course, everyone knew that Ashley liked Chris, except for Chris. 

This was Chris’ last year of school, his last chance to go on the trip to France. The past two trips had been heaps of fun, they couldn’t not be, with Josh as a best friend. He knew that this year would probably prove to be just as entertaining. However, there was one detail about this year that was different. This year, Ashley was coming on the trip. 

Everyone knew that Chris liked Ashley. Mostly because Josh thought it was a fact that needed to be constantly broadcast to the entire universe. So, of course, everyone knew that Chris liked Ashley, except for Ashley, who, miraculously did not seem to receive or understand Josh’s frequent transmissions stating so. 

Currently, the three of them, Chris, Ashley and Josh, were sitting on a plane halfway across the North Atlantic. They had only been permitted to sit together on the condition that Ashley sat in the middle to keep the two scheming, troublesome boys apart. 

Ashley had fallen asleep a while ago, head slowly dipping down to rest on Chris’ shoulder. 

“Pose for the camera Cochise,” Josh’s flash went off.

“Jeeze, man, do you ever put that thing away?” Chris asked, blinking the white spots from his vision.

“An artist should never be without his brush,” Josh grinned, setting the flash off a second time, “wow, she’s out for the count isn’t she?” 

Chris looked down at the sleeping Ashley. Her hair was falling over her face and her cheek was adorably smooshed against his shoulder. She shifted slightly in her sleep, burrowing into his side a little more. Chris couldn’t stop the smile that crept onto his face.

“Oh no!” Josh groaned.

“What?”

“The pining begins! Seriously, when are you gonna take Red here, to the bone zone?”

“Sheesh... like that could ever happen.”

“Come on, wake up and smell the roses! Look at her man, all cosy and cuddled up to you.”

“Well, yeah, but we're like, friends-”

“Listen, dude, Cochise, my main man, Chris. Look around you. Do you see any parents? We’re going to France, the country of _luuuv_. I mean can you imagine a more perfect, ripe scenario, just dripping with erotic possibilities? You, and Ashley, alone at last... You've laid all the groundwork, you've been a perfect gentleman. Now you come in for the kill! If all goes well, who knows, you could join the mile high club on the way back.”

“I don't know, man...”

“How can you NOT KNOW!”

Ashley stirred in her sleep. Chris gave Josh a look that meant, be quiet. Chris whispered, “what if it's like, weird... and what if she might not like, wanna be friends with me anymore if I try something like that.”

“I mean weren't you just listening? You gotta buck up, bro. Grow a pair.”

Chris rolled his eyes and sighed.

“Okay, fine, you know what? Have it your way! But can you just do one thing? If not for yourself, then do it for me, because the sexual tension is killing me.”

“What?”

“At least… I dunno… find a way to hold her hand, I mean, that’s the bare minimum! I’m asking the bare minimum! You think you can do that for me champ?”

“Josh-”

“I mean if you get a smooch or second base I will be ecstatic for you but let’s face it, we both know that’s not going to happen.”

“One day, I’m so going to punch you.”

“Make love not war my friend, love not war.” 

Chris tried desperately to put the conversation that he’d had with Josh on the plane out of his mind. Even though Josh, miraculously, for the most part, stayed pretty quiet on the subject, he couldn’t stop thinking about it. 

He decided that the problem was Ashley’s jewellery. She always wore a fair number of rings and they would glint and glitter in the light, catching his eye. Then he’d look at her hand and think about taking it in his own. Then he went quiet and he could feel his ears burning and of course, Josh just had to point that out, bastard. 

The trip was fun, they saw some cool sights, a hilarious mishap or two couldn’t be helped and he did get to spend a lot of time with Ashley. He did, however, fail in the mission that Josh had given him. He kept thinking about it and he’d plan it out and then when the moment came he’d clam up, freak out and bottle it. 

So when they were on one of their last outings in the last few days of the trip to the ruins of an old castle or _chateau_ , as the French say, Josh took things into his own hands and hoped desperately that Chris would follow his lead. 

“Yo, Cochise, Red! Over here!” Josh called.

“What now?” Chris and Ashley traipsed over to where Josh was standing, looking up at a wall.

“I’m pretty sure,” Josh reached up to the top, lifting his foot up to find a hold, “that we can get up here.”

“Josh, we shouldn’t-” Ashley began.

“Ashley! Why? This is my last time on this trip. So why, may I ask, in god’s name, are you trying to suck all of the fun out of it?”

“I am not,” she protested.

“Then get up here and prove it. Cochise, you’re in, right?” Josh extended a hand to Chris.

“Whatever,” Chris smirked rolling his eyes and taking Josh’s hand. 

Chris’ climb up onto the top of the wall was not by any means graceful, but it got him there.

“Ash, you coming?” Josh looked down at her after having helped Chris up.

She seemed to consider it for a moment, look around warily and then back at the two boys standing above her, “fine, but I swear if you assholes try to push me off or abandon me up there I will kill you.”

“I’m terrified,” Josh deadpanned.

Ashley walked up to the wall and started trying to find her way up. Josh stood back to watch his plan at work but Chris didn’t move, clearly expecting Josh to help Ashley, the same way he’d helped him. Josh sighed loudly and rolled his eyes. Did he have to spell it out for him? 

“Cochise! You gonna help the lady up?” Chris startled and looking slightly panicked looked first at Josh and then at the struggling Ashley. Josh mimed, reaching down to Ashley and then used his other hand to mime taking hers. Chris groaned silently. This was another one of Josh’s schemes. 

“Uh, a little help would be appreciated,” Ashley called up. Chris looked at Josh, Josh motioned for Chris to help. “Seriously guys, I-” Chris knelt down and took her hand in his. She looked up at him and suddenly went very quiet. Shit! He knew it would make things weird.

“Thanks,” a small, shy smile crept onto her face. 

“Don’t thank him yet, he could still drop you on your ass right now,” Josh commented breaking the two of them out of it. 

“Come on,” Chris helped Ashley pull herself up onto the top of the wall. Her ascent was about as graceful as Chris’ had been. Neither of them was particularly athletically gifted and that is why they both considered Josh’s next move to be particularly cruel. 

“Woe! That’s, uh, a little higher than I thought it was,” Ashley wobbled a bit, holding Chris’ hand tightly as she stood up.

“Don’t worry, I got you,” Chris kept hold of her hand. He looked to Josh, to find out what was happening next but Josh had already gone a fair way along the wall. “Hey! Josh! What you doin’?” Chris called out.

“I’m sorry, my friends, but I’m a busy man, I have places to go, people to do. As my parting words, my advice to you is don’t let go and hold on tight, and now I bid you _adieu_.” Josh performed a sweeping bow and then, having done a fair amount of gymnastics in school, he easily flipped off the wall and skipped out of sight. 

“What the hell? Josh!” Ashley yelled, “asshole,” she added in a mutter.

“So, uh, now what?” Chris looked around “you want to keep going or get back down?”

Ashley sighed, “might as well keep going.”

Chris looked at their still linked hands and felt his ears burning up. The urge to snatch his hand away and apologise almost overcame him but Josh’s words were still ringing in his ears. _‘Don’t let go and hold on tight’_. Chris gulped down his apology and held Ashley’s hand a little bit tighter. “Come on then, I’ll help you balance,” he motioned for them to continue along the wall.

“Thanks,” she smiled warmly at him. 

Eventually, after wobbling along the wall for a bit they found a place where they could safely get down. Chris almost didn’t want to get down off the wall. He liked how she’d hold onto him for balance, liked the feel of Ashley’s hand in his own. Simply put he didn’t want to let go and that’s where his next idea came from. He needed to find every excuse he could to keep holding her hand. 

Chris climbed down off the wall first and then held out his hand to help Ashley down. She took his hand with the hand that he had previously not been holding and it was freezing, “jeeze Ash, your hand is like a block of ice,” Chris chuckled as he helped her down.

“Oh, uh, sorry,” she started trying to pull her hand away.

“No, it’s fine, uh, I could... warm it up for you, if you... you know, want?”

“Oh, uh… okay, yeah, sure,” Ashley smiled up at him shyly. 

He pulled her slightly closer, taking both of her clenched fists and holding them between his own hands. Her cheeks already flushed pink from the cold reddened even more as Chris brought her hands up to his lips and gently blew his warm breath over them. 

“Better?” Chris asked.

“Uh-huh,” Ashley struggled to get words out as she stared up into his bright blue eyes and felt warmth travel through her body as she realised how close they were standing. 

“Now let’s go find that asshole,” Chris grinned taking one of her hands in his own and beginning to lead her in the rough direction that Josh had gone in.

“I’m going to kill him,” Ash nodded as she regained her composure now that Chris’ face wasn’t so close to her own.

“Great, I’ll hold, you punch,” he smirked. Ashley laughed. 

Luckily for them, Josh was not far away and was looking for them in order to initiate part two of his master plan. 

“I see you two finally managed to clamber your way down,” Josh came out from behind a wall, leaning casually against it, leering, arms crossed over his chest.   
Chris and Ashley jumped, springing apart like they’d been burnt. 

“No thanks to you,” Ashley quickly recovered from the shock, marched over to Josh and punched his shoulder.

Josh didn’t even flinch, “what? I don’t have time to babysit you, nerds, constantly.”

“I hate you so much,” Ashley whined, gently pummeling him.

“Woah, Red! Reel in the anger! You should get that shit checked out. As I told our good friend Chris, make love, not war!” Josh gestured to Chris as he joined them. Ashley scowled at him. “Wow, that is not a pretty sight.”

“Are you trying to get punched again?” Chris shook his head, chuckling.

“You offering to defend the lady’s honour, Cochise?” Josh grinned. Chris spluttered.

“I can defend my own honour,” Ashley gave Josh another punch. 

“Ow!” Josh jumped back, “I’ll give it to you Red, that one actually hurt a little. Anyway, as much as I love being abused by my friends, I have something to show you.”

“I’m not climbing up another stupid wall,” Ashley shook her head.

“Yeah, I’m gonna have to take a rain check on that one too,” Chris agreed.

“I am hurt that you two think I am that predictable. No, there will be no more climbing up walls in this little exploit.”

“Lead the way then,” Chris gestured.

“Are you seriously trusting him right now?” Ashley turned to Chris crossing her arms.

Chris shrugged, “what else are we gonna do?”

“I mean, if you two want some more alone time, I can go on this venture by myself,” Josh leered slowly beginning to back away.

Ashley went bright red and pressed her lips firmly together. “Fine, we’re coming,” she began following Josh. Chris trailed along behind them as Josh laughed. 

***

“Nope, nu-uh, no way josé, there is no way you are dragging me down that dark tunnel, not in a million years, not ever!” Ashley shook her head.

“Aww, come on Ash, live a little, where’s the curious explorer within you?” Josh teased.

“No, no, I… I can’t, I just can’t, okay.”

“You mean, you’re going to abandon me to walk into the dark tunnel all by myself, doomed to go mad in the darkness and turn into a feral, flesh-eating monster?”

“Five minutes ago you said you could go by yourself.”

“Well, I have reassessed since then and…” he peered into the tunnel, “yep, can’t do this alone. There could be a bear down there, are you condemning me to be chowed down upon by a bear Ashley Brown, do you want that on your conscience?”

“That would be quite the guilt to deal with Ash,” Chris nodded.

“Not you too! You are both idiots. There are no bears in France,” she rolled her eyes.

“Wolves?” Josh suggested. Ashley shook her head.

“Rabid dogs?” Chris added.

Ashley moved her head from side to side, considering the possibility of rabid dogs. “I think I’ll get over it,” Ashley smirked. 

“Fine,” Josh shrugged, “be a scaredy-cat.” Ashley glared at him, not her normal mocking glare, this glare was heated, this glare held real anger behind it.

“Josh, come on man-” Chris began, instantly trying to calm the situation.

“I’ll do it,” Ashley said through gritted teeth.

Josh nodded, grinning, “that’s the spirit,” he strode into the darkness.

“Ash, don’t listen to him, you don’t have to.”

“No, I’m doing it, come on,” she marched determinedly after Josh. 

Chris sighed and followed, getting out his phone to use the torch. 

Chris wondered what the hell Josh was doing, what his plan was because there was no doubt in his mind that this was part of some stupid scheme. He wouldn’t be surprised if he jumped out at them from behind a wall for some kind of idiotic prank. 

Normally Chris would be fine with this kind of thing, playing pranks on each other was a part of their friendship and he tended to prank as much as be pranked, but this, this was not funny. Chirs knew that Ashley was honest to god, scared of the dark, it was just a no go zone with her and calling her out on it, well that was stepping over the line. 

They walked a little way into the tunnel and found a set of stairs leading downward. 

“Oh my god! I hate this, I hate this so much,” he heard Ashley whisper. 

He was already missing the feeling of holding her hand and he _had_ decided to come up with more excuses earlier. So why not another one? 

Once they got to the bottom of the steps he bundled up his courage and said, “hey, Ash?”

“Yeah?”

“You… uh… wanna… um… like, hold my hand, or something, so that we don’t like... get lost.”

“Yes please,” she replied in a very small voice. 

It was a little difficult finding each other in the darkness but Ashley’s hands somehow found his arm and then one of them moved down to link their hands. Chris laced his fingers through hers and he felt her squeeze his hand a little tighter. 

“Where did Josh go?” Ashley whispered.

“I don’t know,” Chris shone his torch down the tunnel. 

It was dank and damp down there. Cells lined the walls, it appeared to be some kind of old dungeon. 

“Josh?” Ashley’s voice echoed down the tunnel.

“Yep,” Josh’s head popped out of one of the cells.

“Why exactly did you want to come down here?” Ashley asked as she and Chris began to make their way over to where Josh was.

“Honestly,” Josh shook his head, disappointed, “where’s your sense of adventure at, Red?”

There was a cacophony of high pitched shrieks from further down the tunnel. They all jumped, panic filling their features. Ashley latched onto Chris’ arm, clinging to him tightly. But then they heard laughter.

“Oh my God!” Jess’ voice carried down the tunnel to them.

“Michael, why would you do that!?” They heard Emily berating him.

“You should have seen your faces,” Mike guffawed.

“Real cool man, real cool,” Matt commented.

Mike continued to laugh, “you screamed like a little girl.” 

Ashley was still clinging tightly to Chris, clearly shaken. “How about we get out of here, it would seem that there are other people down here that can protect Josh from the bears,” he suggested. Ashley nodded meekly, burrowing herself further into Chris’ side.

“Alright then lovebirds, I’ll see you two later,” Josh saluted and then headed in the direction of Mike’s laughter. 

“Come on,” Chris gently led Ashley back through the tunnel and up the stairs. They both blinked at the brightness of the daylight as they left the tunnel behind them. As Chris turned to Ashley he noticed the tear tracks down her cheeks. 

“Hey,” he looked at her, concerned, “you okay?”

She nodded, letting go of his arm to wipe her face, “god, that was so… ugh!” She groaned, scrubbing at her cheeks with the sleeve of her coat.

“Sorry, Josh was being a bit of a dick,” Chris sighed.

“It’s fine, I’m just, it’s so stupid.”

“You… uh… want a hug?” He offered. She nodded and gratefully fell into his open arms. She held onto him tightly taking a few deep breaths. “It’s not stupid, by the way, not stupid at all,” Chris muttered.

She leaned back so that she could see his face, “thanks,” she smiled.

“No problem,” he gulped suddenly realising how close they were and quickly releasing her. She sighed, hunching her shoulders and crossing her arms. 

God! Chris hated to admit this but Josh was kind of right. He was, once again, already missing holding her hand. He just needed to go for it. So, he took a deep breath and took the risk. 

“Hey, uh, Ash?”

“Yes Chris,” she looked up at him smiling.

“You, uh, think you could, uh, hold something for me?”

“Oh,” her face fell, “yeah, sure,” she nodded. He held out his hand to her. She frowned at it, confused for a second but when he continued to offer her his hand a smile melted onto her face. 

Everyone knew that Chris liked Ashley, including Ashley. 

She grinned, taking his hand, lacing her fingers through his. Then she looked up at him, into his bright blue eyes. She felt heat rising to her cheeks and noticed that Chris’ ears had gone very red. She gulped down her doubts. Then she pushed up onto her tip-toes and planted a soft kiss on Chris’ lips. 

Everyone knew that Ashley liked Chris, including Chris as he wrapped his free arm around her waist and leaned down, kissing her back. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed!


End file.
